Ruby in the rough
by Shobu556
Summary: AU When five of the universes greatest warriors/protectors vanish on an unknown world, what happens when they re-emerge and change the course of history? OC's, OOC-slight, unknown pairings


Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, that and its characters belong to Monty Oum of Rooster Teeth, if I did I wouldn't change a thing except make an action montage or two.**

**(2/4/15) As you can expect the tribute is at the bottom. This idea was in the works well before WF or CF, was hoping for more information to be given in Volume 2 and onward before I continued it. A one-shot till I find the time to continue it, till then WF is my priority. Give the best, for the best.**

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

People always wonder how a war starts, especially, one that ends with the deaths of all those on either side. What people never ask is how it could have ended.

Over a thousand years prior to the present there was a boy. This boy held an unimaginable burden and a power to rival that burden. He fought from a young age in wars spanning entire worlds and dimensions. But he was not alone in this quest for peace. He had help from his friends who shared some of the power he had. He made many enemies but he never found an end to the fighting. Legend states that he would fight against monsters with no soul and help the chosen of that world to find peace before he brought true peace.

He and his allies fought a massive war and came out on top. He thought that peace had been attained. While spending his time traversing the various dimensions he met his counterparts and helped them with their own troubles. It wasn't until he found a world plagued by these soulless creatures that he was cut off from his own time. While fighting what the people called 'Grimm' he and his team were frozen in a block of ice. Normally not a problem for someone capable of destroying a whole world but the man who trapped them did so with a new type of Dust spell. The five warriors were left in a cave frozen for thousands of years.

That is, until today.

(line break)

Inside a cave in the Emerald Forest was a block of ice. Inside this ice were five young adults. These five at a glance may appear to be average but they had a power that made even the strongest of Grimm antsy.

A single crack ran up the middle in front of the central figure. His body began to shake, cracks splitting off in every direction, he opened his eyes and with a mighty yell freed himself from the ice. Steam rising from the remnants of the ice shards now laying scattered around the cave floor the boy took a moment to study his surroundings.

'This can't be the same place can it? We were frozen in a castle not a cave.' He thought.

He turned to the other frozen figures. He held out a hand and a blue energy began to encase it.

"Hope this works." He said.

Forming a fist, he pulled back, and then punched the block of ice. The entire block fractured before breaking. The other four were on their hands and knees taking deep breaths.

"Anyone get the number of that ghoul?" The one on the left panted.

"Glad to see you still havea sense of humor Malice."

The figure looked up at the one that spoke. Green eyes met blue for a moment then "Alec? That really you?"

The now identified Alec nodded his head.

"In the flesh." He said with a grin.

Alec held out his right hand palm up. A blue light emanating from it. The other occupants of the cave were now visible. Malice with his spiky red hair stood beside Alec. The other three, a boy with blue hair, one with black hair that seemed to defy gravity and a brunette were still getting used to moving their limbs.

"Looks like we all made it." Malice smiled "Did we win?"

Alec looked towards the entrance of the cave. His green eyes scanning for anything, good or bad, outside.

"Hard to tell. I can sense some life signs outside in the forest but none that I recognize." He said.

Malice frowned. "That could mean anything right?"

Alec nodded his head.

"Someone mind telling me how we ended up in a cave?"

Malice turned to look at the speaker. It was the bluenette, Alviss.

"Your guess is as good as mine Popsicle." He said with a grin.

"Matchstick." Alviss muttered.

Alec shook his head. The brunette was walking towards the entrance with the dark and mysterious one following closely behind him.

"And then there's Terra doing that. Why do we even bother bringing him with us if he's just going to run off and kill the first thing he sees?" Malice asked in exasperation.

Alviss shrugged in response.

"Because he is the only one who can tell where anything is, on, or below the planet's surface." Was Alec's reply.

"Of course, I knew that." He said.

"Sure you did." Alviss smirked.

Alec shook his head. There seemed to be even more arguments starting than normal, and head shaking now that he thought about it.

A loud crash resounded throughout the cave. The three warriors turned towards the entrance.

"You think he met the locals?"

"Met?" Alviss asked "I think he just killed the locals."

Alec growled under his breath before running off. Malice and Alviss exchanged a glance before following their leader.

Outside the cave Terra was standing atop the dead body of a large black bear like creature. His double-bladed ax, Juggernaut, protruding from its skull.

"You could have been more precise in killing it Terra."

Terra hopped off of the body. Landing in front of his smaller companion he recalled his ax.

"Wasn't even a warm-up." He said in monotone.

"Funny. I recall Ursa's giving you the most trouble out of all the Grimm."

Terra narrowed his eyes. He shrugged the comment off and began looking for more Grimm to kill. His partner was about to follow before he felt the presence of three familiar people.

"Glad to see you decided to join us." He said

Alec stood several feet from him with Alviss and Malice flanking him. "I couldn't pass up the chance for a fight now could I? Besides, you guys would be dead without me." He smiled confidently.

"As if."

Malice stepped towards the Ursa. He whistled appreciatively. "Now _that_ is an Ursa." He started to walk around it taking in every detail. "You guys think it's possible that the Grimm have gotten bigger?"

Alviss tapped his chin in thought. 'It could be possible', he thought 'but do we _really_ want bigger Grimm running around?'

"Could be. Only question we should be focusing on is how long we were trapped in there." Alec said solemnly "I'd hate to think of what this could mean for the people."

They all agreed silently.

"Think we should go after him then? Terra isn't known for his patience after all." Malice said breaking the silence.

Alec contemplated his choices. Stay where they were and then go looking for a village or go and find the giant of their group and save some lives. Alec sighed. 'This is going to give me a headache I just know it.'

Without another word Alec began heading in the direction that Terra left. The running itself wasn't a problem for the four of them. The problem came in when Malice crashed into another Ursa, the roaring and yelling in general attracted a pack of beowolves, to say the least it wasn't a pleasant run.

"Of all the things it just had to be an Ursa!" He yelled.

Alviss was currently dodging the beowolves as they tried to make a swipe at him. Alec however was content with just running to a suitable field. 'That Ursa's going to be a problem with all that noise.' He thought 'We need a place where we can cut loose and not have to worry about harming any innocent lives.' He caught sight of a clearing just up ahead.

"Hiei up ahead!"

"I see it."

Alec turned to Alviss "Get their attention Al."

"Kind of hard to do when they're only focused on us." He muttered.

Alec burst through the tree line into a clearing. Dive rolling into a crouch he pointed his right index finger in front of him. Alviss appeared seconds later with a sword in his right hand.

"I really hope this plan works." He said.

Alec smirked. "Don't they always?"

Alviss gave him a deadpan look "Do you _want_ me to comment?"

"Point."

Hiei followed by Malice made it out of the trees just as the Ursa uprooted several of them.

"Why does this always happen to me!?" Malice whined.

"Because you're the one who always has to attack every little thing." Hiei replied.

Alec chose to ignore their small argument. "Alviss, tell me when."

Alviss nodded his head. He watched as the Ursa gave a mighty roar as the beowolves ran at them. Twenty .

"Now!" he commanded.

Alec focused his power to his index finger then fired a shot that propelled him towards the Grimm. He turned over in the air, focusing more power to his right fist he barreled through the beowolves. Hiei and Malice took the opening and used it to their advantage. Alviss watched as his two comrades tore through the Grimm as if they were nothing. Malice threw one of his chakrams and cut two clean in half. Hiei, using his katana and speed, dismembered five in one go. By this point Alec was less than twenty feet from the Ursa. He reared his fist back. The Ursa made to strike him but missed. Alec punched its underbelly and released the stored power.

The Ursa was sent flying before crashing. Alec looked around the field to see the remains of the beowolf pack.

"Didn't they used to be tougher?" Malice asked.

Hiei pulled his katana out of a beowolves chest "Doesn't change the fact we killed them."

Alec shook his head. Turning to Alviss he saw the young warrior standing before an arrangement of pedestals.

"You find something?"

Alviss nodded his head. "Chess pieces by the looks of it." He said "The black bishops and white rooks and knights are missing though."

Hiei and Malice walked over to them as a loud cawing sound was heard.

"We should check that out." Malice suggested.

Alec nods. "Hiei, Malice, take a white bishop with you. Alviss go with them and check it out."

Malice and Hiei blinked, once, twice. "Seriously?" was the simultaneous response.

"That's an order!" He growled "Terra could be anywhere and judging by the noise I'd say that things are getting more serious here."

"Don't let us keep you then." Malice said as he too off.

Hiei nodded his head before disappearing. Alviss, however, stood beside his leader.

"You're not going to find him are you?" He asked

Alec sighed "No Alviss, I'm not, but that doesn't mean I can't try."

"You know its hopeless right? He will kill you if you find him now."

Alec knew it would end up like this. Even though they had all been friends for years and fought alongside each other Alviss was not only the negotiator but the conscience of the group. Alec knew that he wouldn't drop the subject until he agreed with him.

"Don't ask me why I do what I do. I can't explain it but I have to find him." Alec clenched his fists "If not for what he did then for what he will do. I won't stand on the sidelines while he controls this world through fear."

Alviss bowed his head. The deaths of millions were still fresh in his mind even if it had been years outside their frozen prison. He left his leader to whatever thoughts he would have and went to assist the others.

Alec picked up a white king piece. Truth be told he wasn't blind to the fact that this was a test. Before they were trapped he and the other leaders of the coalition against the Grimm used chess pieces to distinguish who was who. He held the white king, representing the most vital and dangerous piece. Alviss and the others were the white bishops, adaptable, dependable and of course able to keep the king out of harm's way no matter how often he seems to find it.

(Line break)

Alec took off. Meanwhile back with the others. Alviss was doing the best he could to freeze a Deathstalker in place. He watched as Malice grounded himself. One of the kids they were fighting alongside slammed her hammer on its head before firing a grenade. He was still impressed with how far they had come since first using dust.

Malice focused his attention to the overgrown scorpion before him. Alviss pulled back with the others as he activated his armor or Zenith. Covering his body was a primarily white body with red and orange highlights covering the chest, arms and legs. The helmet had a built in targeting system. He raised his left arm which was inside of a large Gatling gun and began to fire upon the Deathstalker. Hundreds of bullets tore into its armor. It let out a shriek as it was torn apart.

"Do you think we could get one of those?" a blond boy asked in awe.

Alviss rolled his eyes.

The more reserved male eyed the Zenith warily, watching in slight awe as it took apart a Grimm that they could barely handle together. Alviss noticed that out of the group only two seemed to be overly dangerous if their power was anything to go by. The girl in pink with the hammer was definitely a threat even if she displayed a childlike disposition. They all reminded him of himself and the others. They all had their quirks but he could see that they would be dangerous once they understood what the rest were thinking.

Malice was smacked back by the Deathstalker. Alviss chuckled as his partner clutched his helmeted head in pain.

"Serves you right for getting overconfident Malice."

Alviss turned to see Alec standing beside the fallen warrior.

"I didn't see you in there helping me out Alec." He grumbled still irritated by the fact he was hit.

Alec turned his gaze to the large scorpion creature. Putting his left arm in front of his body over his heart and right arm back he smirked.

"Don't blink Malice. You might just miss the show." He said as he activated his own Zenith. The red, white and blue armor appeared in a flash covering his body. The red shield mounted on his left arm acting as a matador's cape, blue armor on the forearms, legs and body with white covering the rest of the body.

The Deathstalker charged. Alec kept his shield up as it made to strike him. Summoning his sword, Judgment, he swung in an upward arc slicing off part of the Deathstalkers left claw. Brushing off the left one with his shield he banished the blade and pointed his index finger directly at it.

"Bang." Was his simple reply as he fired an energy bullet into the Grimm's skull and through its body. It slumped to the ground motionless.

"Showoff," Malice said sourly.

Alviss rolled his eyes. "Jealous Malice?" he said in a teasing tone.

Malice turned away. "Of him? As if."

Alec banished his armor. Breathing heavily he clutched his chest.

"Damn." He fell to one knee.

"Sir!" Alviss rushed to his side.

Alec waved him off with his free hand. "It's nothing. Just not used to fighting after our rest is all." He smiled reassuringly but Alviss could see the pain he was hiding.

"Guess we have the answer to some of our questions then." Malice commented.

Alec rolled his eyes. After fighting for several years against entire armies and in some cases worlds he knew that his friends, no, his team would never change. Hiei and Terra were fighting alongside four others against a Nevermore. Hiei had activated his own Zenith, Reaper, and was fighting alongside a girl wielding a scythe. The two were a pretty god team considering Hiei had fought in several wars and one on one with supposed gods. Terra threw his ax at the Nevermore only managing to scratch its wing.

"All this time and he still can't hit a flying target." Malice complained. Alviss was too busy tending to the kids to think of the fight. Alec on the other hand was getting his second wind.

"Been too long since I last used Guardian. I should be fine in a couple of minutes." He said.

The three warriors heard a crash in the distance. Looking up they saw the Nevermore's tail frozen to the side of the cliff. They watched as its body was pulled up the side of the cliff by a girl in a red cloak. Malice gave a low whistle as its head and body were separated.

"Remind me not to make her mad." He said to Alviss.

**XXXXXXXXX**

**AN: The title says it all. The original idea, all of our own, and even my ideas are like diamonds in the ruff. Rough? Whatever. The point is that not a single one of us knows when we will be gone. This just proves it. Fan fiction, blogs, social media, we are all in some way fans of a group of people that make us laugh and produce interesting ideas. Rooster teeth is an amazing community, company and group of people. We all, probably, think that they are immortals. In a sense they are. Because no one is going to forget what they do, continue to do and always have done. Sadly, we are reminded that they aren't the great immortals we think they are, they are greater mortals than any person, character or entity can claim. For giving us a torch with a brilliant burning flame, we will carry on his legacy. Monty Oum will be missed; we writers will continue to uphold what he has given us. We, fans, are all in agreement; dead or alive he is and always will be great. **


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